Project - Prometheus Ch. 30

"Great! We fucking failed and we're going to die here! All for fucking nothing!" the soldier cursed.

"No, we... won't," Void Lord replied.

"What the fuck do you mean??"

"Rig is... broken... but have a... backup copy... stored... here," the hacker said, tapping his head.

"You memorized the intel you got?" Sarnoc guessed.

"Storage... cortex. Just the two of us... have to... make it," Void Lord told him. Sarnoc popped his head upwards to look again and saw that the reinforcements he'd been fearing had indeed arrived. With that many men, there was no way the two of them would make it. One, maybe, but not two, if any of them expected to survive.

"No. Just me!" Sarnoc growled as he moved to the hacker. Void Lord's eyes widened as he realized what the lieutenant was about to do.

"Don't you fucking... nnnoooooooOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" the hacker screamed before his voice was turned into a bloody gurgle. Sarnoc's own men stared at the grisly sight of their commander hacking the man's head off. He severed it with relative ease, using his vibroknife, pulling the hacker's head from his body. Once he had the head, he shouted out his command, expecting his men to obey.

"Kill them all!" he cried as he broke cover.

Sarnoc opened fire, sending dozens of bullets towards Hardick and the crew of the Darkstrider. His men joined him in his attack, trusting in the lieutenant's actions. Some defenders dove for cover, avoiding the incoming fire, while several of the newer arrivals returned fire. Many of the soldiers who fought with Sarnoc were gunned down, as they didn't stand a chance.

The smoke cleared a few seconds later, and the crew advanced on the enemy positions, thinking they were cleared. There were a few survivors, but they did the smart thing and surrendered, not wishing to join their comrades. The crew quickly found the corpse of the hacker they had been hunting, but were mortified to find him without his head.

"What in the name of all that is holy happened??" Alex breathed.

"Sir! Over there!" Jaesa cried out, pointing at the retreating Lieutenant Sarnoc.

"Is that... Void Lord's head in his hands?" Taal'ani gasped, sickened by the grisly sight.

"Void Lord had a storage cortex implanted in his brain! He made copies of the data he stole and stored them there!" Jaesa blurted out. The crew took a beat to process this information before they realized what it meant and tore after the traitorous officer.

"What the fu... WHERE ARE YOU GOING??" Hardick called out as he chased after the departing crew.

"Going after that officer! The head has a storage cortex, which holds sensitive data!" Alex rumbled as he matched pace with the women.

"How sensitive?" Hardick shouted, barely keeping up with Alex's long stride.

"Enough to kickstart a war over it!" Natalya called back.

The lieutenant's eyes widened, now fully aware of what the stakes were. He controlled his breathing, pacing himself with the crew as they gave chase. Sarnoc chanced a look back and panic was written all over it. Hardick watched the man pick up the pace and the rest of them ran faster to match it. In his mind, there was no way that Sarnoc was getting away. He'd done too much evil to just be let off so easily.

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Sarnoc zig zagged his way through the military zone, hoping to lose his pursuers. He cut through the checkpoint with relative ease, as they were men he knew. He'd hoped they would have gunned down the people chasing him, but several commands from Hardick had them join the pursuit. He growled as he called in to reach Saubath on the Stalwart.

"Sir?!? Are you there??" he called, hoping that the commodore was reachable.

"Sarnoc? What's happened?!?" Saubath questioned as he saw the moving landscape around the lieutenant.

"Compromised sir! But I have the package and am on my way! Tell me the shuttle is on its way!" Sarnoc begged as he kept moving and dodging obstacles.

"It should be there momentarily! Where is Void Lord??" Saubath worried.

"Dead, but the sneaky bastard had a storage cortex in his head! I have it and I'm bringing it to you!" Sarnoc breathed.

"Good! Keep moving! You're almost there!" Saubath urged. "I have men stationed at the shuttle! Get to them and you'll be safe!"

"Yes, sir! Out!" Sarnoc yelped as he killed the call.

Sarnoc turned his head once again and hoped that he'd finally lost them. He was shocked and terrified when he saw his assailants were still on his tail and closing fast! 'Fuck!! Who are these people? Galactic athletes?!?' he thought as he kept running. Sarnoc had always been fast on his feet, among the fastest at the academy! Yet these people were still on him and didn't even appear to be breaking a sweat!

The Collective agent kept his eyes ahead of him as he kept dodging and weaving, giving them no line of sight to shoot. He knew he was getting close, as the pre-arranged extraction point was coming up. Sarnoc tore into the docking bay thirty-nine and saw the shuttle there, waiting for him. Around it stood four soldiers, with their weapons out, ready to engage anyone who came at them.

"They're right behind me! Shoot to kill!" the lieutenant screamed as he raced for the shuttle.

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Alex burst into the docking bay and waded into a hail of incoming fire. He would have been cut down, were it not for the personal shield generator he was wearing. Diving behind a crate, the big man got a warning to those who followed him, urging them to take cover.

"Fuck! The bastard's getting away!" Natalya screamed as she popped up and returned fire, sending the soldiers scrambling for cover. She aimed several bursts at the fleeing officer but yelled in frustration.

"What is it??" Taal'ani queried.

"The fucker is shielded! There's no way I'll be able to drop him!" Natalya cursed as she kept firing, hoping to cut through his shields.

"We can't let that info get out!" Alex called out. "Ideas?!?"

"I have one," Jaesa stated, as she cocked her sniper rifle. "Cover me!"

Doing as the AI asked, the group broke cover and unleashed hellfire with their weapons. It was enough to keep the soldiers on their heels, but Sarnoc kept moving, his shield giving him the confidence to stay out of cover. The man was moving quickly, but staggered slightly, as though winded. He neared the ramp that led into the shuttle, and the AI knew that time was short.

Jaesa sighted the man in, but then moved her gaze to the bloody trophy in his hand. Taking careful aim, she waited for the precise moment before squeezing the trigger. The round was expelled at a velocity that even she couldn't track, but her aim was true, as she watched the head of Void Lord explode in a shower of gore.

She saw a messy tangle of wires dangling from the remains of the hacker's head and took aim again. Sarnoc had just turned and screamed in horror at what he held before the second round was fired. It hit the remaining piece of the head, vaporizing it in a split second, leaving nothing to be recovered. The traitor stared outside the shuttle in Jaesa's direction, before the ramp closed and the ship took off.

"Please tell me you got the bastard!" Hardick begged.

"His shield was too strong. I couldn't punch through it in time," Jaesa replied with a grim smirk on her face.

"Then why in the name of the gods are you smiling?" the lieutenant retorted.

"Because I shot and atomized Void Lord's head. Unless it can me magically reconstituted from free floating atoms, then I'd say that our mission was a success," the AI smirked.

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Sarnoc cursed and groaned as he looked over the remains of Void Lord's head. He knew that he had failed in his mission and was beside himself with worry. The soldier had no idea how he was going to explain this to Saubath. One way or another, he'd have to tell the man about it and wondered when the best time to do it would be. That decision was taken away from him, as a holocall beeped, startling him.

"You might want to pick that up, Sarnoc! It's the Commodore," the pilot told him. Sighing, Sarnoc knew that the best way to deal with this was now. He picked up the call on the fifth ring, letting the hologram of Commodore Saubath materialize in front of him.

"Lieutenant Sarnoc, report! Did you secure the asset?" Saubath asked eagerly. "Tell me that you at least secured the cortex!!"

"That's a negative, sir. I was aboard the shuttle, when the damn thing was blown out of my hands by a sniper shot. This is all that remains," Sarnoc growled, holding up the goopy remnants of Void Lord's head.

"Fuck!!!" Saubath raged, and even though it was a hologram, Sarnoc shrank away a little, terrified of the Takharian man. "Get aboard the Stalwart immediately! We have one final card left to play."

"Aye, aye, sir!" Sarnoc replied dutifully, saluting his superior. He wondered what Saubath had in mind, but was glad that he wouldn't be on the receiving end of it.

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Arcann Saubath growled ferally, beyond angry at the chain of events that had transpired. They had what they needed and were so close to gaining their long sought after advantage! Though Saubath wouldn't be able to deliver what he had promised, he could at least try to rectify the situation he was in. He turned to his XO and barked a singular command.

"Execute Operation Warlord!"

"Confirm order, sir," the human man asked him, making absolutely certain that he wanted to go this route.

"Execution of Operation Warlord, confirm!" Saubath snarled.

Nodding, his XO sent the coded activation message throughout the fleets and Veldhern station. Operation Warlord was a last ditch contingency plan, which Saubath had drawn up and organized years ago. It was a final signal, which was sent to all Collective agents throughout the Veldhern sector. The operation itself was simple; break cover and take whatever areas and ships you could, by whatever means necessary.

When Saubath had first arrived at this posting, there were few Collective agents in the system. That had eventually changed, as the Collective slowly sent infiltrator agents to take up mundane posts on the station. From there, they had expanded further, slowly bringing in agents who were with the UCW military.

That in itself was a chore, as there were so few among the military who were selected to be here. The protocol for getting assigned to Veldhern was exceedingly stringent, so despite their best efforts, few Collective infiltrators were sent here. There was enough to make a difference though, and Saubath hoped it would get the job done.

The signal was sent, and his men began executing their true agendas. It was regrettable to have to kill so many talented men and women, but if they didn't side with the Collective, then they would die. There could be no dissension amongst the ranks, because such division would often bring the entire ship down. Saubath would liked to have had more Collective agents here, but for now, what he had would have to do.

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"Command, what the fuck is going on?" Hardick called into his comms.

"People are going haywire! We have multiple engagements popping up all over the station! Guards are being systematically gunned down, while civilians and tourists alike are being taken as hostages!" came the reply over muted gunfire.

"Command, are you secure?" Hardick bellowed, hoping they were.

"Trying to hold position but having trouble with doing so! We need backup now!" came his commander's voice.

"Fuck! Commodore Williams, are you there?" Alex called into the comms.

"Never left! If you're about to ask for reinforcements, I'm afraid I can't spare any men! Both fleets are in disarray and we're trying to contain the infiltrators!" she replied before she barked several commands to her subordinates.

"Shit! What about the surface of Veldhern? Did any such men get down there?" Alex asked.

"Wait one!" she called out, as she was busy getting her ship in order. "I'm not detecting any distress signals from the surface, thank Allah!"

"Call up Captain Fitch and whatever security personnel that can be spared! Any aid they could render would help us turn the tide!" Alex suggested.

"Brilliant! I'm sending out a signal now! Hopefully Karl picks up!" Williams replied, a smile cracking her face.

"What do we do?" Natalya asked.

"We aid the lieutenant here in taking this station back! You ladies with me?" Alex questioned. All three affirmed this by hefting their weapons and cocking them, readying themselves for battle.

"Sir? I would recommend that we put a call into the Darkstrider and put the Sentries to use! If there are any insurgents in the docking bay..." Jaesa told him.

"Do it! Put the call into Inari and Priya! We need to contain this situation before it gets out of hand!" Alex agreed. "Well, lieutenant, what are your orders?"

"Follow me and stay close! We need to clear out the nearest sectors one by one and reinforce those who need it! Let's go!"

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"All right, everyone armed up?" Captain Karl Fitch asked.

"Sir, yes sir!" came the unified reply.

"OK then. Let's head on up and get this shit sorted out! We've got some Collective to kill!" he rumbled.

Many of the soldiers present shared his enthusiasm, as the Collective were sworn enemies of the UCW. They had hit them and made them hurt, and now it was time to hit back. They all marched aboard the transports, which were primarily used for food, to get to the station. Karl hoped that after this incident, the UCW would approve the funding for some proper military transports.

Though the food haulers would do, they were unbearably slow and would take more than twice as long to get up to the station. It was the best they had at the moment, and the transports were packed with as many soldiers as they could fit. Half the remaining detail had been called up from their rest days to maintain the illusion of security on the planet. Though they had earned the day, Karl knew that shit had hit the fan, and they needed every available gun possible.

What he didn't know was the mercenary known as Rasner and the three women he had freed had stowed away on the transport. They were currently packed into a storage closet, which hadn't been emptied, as time was of the essence. Rasner did everything he could to keep the women quiet, as this sort of situation they were in was not planned. He only hoped that once they had landed on the station, they could blend in with the personnel there and be on their way.

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"Confirmed! Mobilizing defenses!" Inari replied over the comms before she shut down the line. "All Sentries mobilize to secure the landing zone! Deadly force is authorized!"

"Love, what's going on?" Priya asked, having just come out of the simulator. Inari filled her in on the situation, which left Priya shocked.

"Fuck! What in the name of Shiva did we just step into?" Priya growled as both women headed to the armory.

"A cold war that's been brewing between the Unified Coalition of Worlds and the Tosh'Kanthi Collective! I'd heard rumors about this back during our days as part of the Federation, but this is nuts!" Inari griped.

"Looks like this cold war just got hot!" Priya sighed as the elevator deposited them to the third level. Wasting no time, the women got armed and armored and were soon outside the Darkstrider. Inari locked the ship down, before directing the Sentries as they moved to find anyone in need of their help.

"How are we going to tell who's part of the UCW and who's with the Collective?" Priya asked.

"Before the attack, Jaesa picked up a signal that was sent out. It was weak and almost invisible, but she detected it and is decoding it as we speak. What she has figured out was that it's likely an activation signal, which has spurred the Collective agents to break cover. She's sent us a cobbled together IFF signal (Identify Friend or Foe) that should help us identify who's who. Here," Inari told her as she handed Priya a pair of tactical glasses.

"Well, that will certainly help!" Priya responded as she put the glasses on. The HUD on the glasses activated, lighting up everyone in the vicinity with the IFF signal. The civilians and dockworkers near them were lit up in green, while military personnel and guards were lit up in blue. A woman approached them, a full Commander by her insignia with apprehension on her face.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the soldier barked.

"Lt. Commander Inari Sunara and Gunnery Sergeant Priya Patel, reporting in. We're here to assist in locking down and holding the docks. We and the Sentry-bots behind us are at your disposal, Commander...?" Inari asked.

"Callista. Commander Tanya Callista. Glad you're here! Follow me! We have work to do!" the soldier told them as she marched towards the sound of a firefight. Inari and Priya followed on her heels, with the Sentries behind them ready to do battle.

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"Get on your feet! In front of us!" one of the nurses yelled.

The assembled staff of Karonis Medical Sciences were being herded in front of the trio of nurses who had pulled weapons on them. Some of the staff thought they were playing around and pranking them. But after shooting several doctors and gunning down the security staff, it was clear they meant business. Lilliana Vesper had her hands up, hoping and praying to God that she wasn't next.

She controlled her breathing to keep herself from fainting, and it helped her focus. Lilliana kept her eyes moving, hoping to see some way to get away from these people and get a warning out. No one had thought to hit the panic button, as no one had ever breached Veldhern station. This incident here would change that mentality if they survived it.

Dr. Vesper was snapped out of her introspections by incoming gunfire. Shrieking in alarm, she fell to the ground, hoping that she wouldn't get hit by the deadly projectiles. She saw one person, a woman, charging at them, wielding a pistol in each hand, firing like she knew what she was doing. The nurses returned fire, thinking to drop the annoying woman, dismissing her as little more than a wannabe heroine.

What they didn't know was that this woman was First Lieutenant Tayla Markosi, UCW Internal Affairs. Though she was wearing a nanoweave vest to deter any shots made at her, she didn't leave anything to chance. She performed a sequence of acrobatics that allowed her to avoid every shot fired at her until her assailant's clips were spent. Tayla had only emptied half her clips and came up with guns blazing.

Her returning fire dropped one nurse, cutting her down like she was nothing. The other two, a man and a woman, were seriously injured, bullets finding nerve clusters that put them in immeasurable amounts of pain. They too fell, but unlike their friend, they were still breathing. Tayla sprinted over, pointing her weapons at the Collective operatives, keeping her eyes on them.

"Are there any more?" she called out.

"What?" replied one of the doctors.

"People waving guns like this. Are there any more, or is it just these three?" Tayla demanded.

"It's just these three! They were going to use us as human shields!" one of the nurses blubbered, thankful to be free.

"Not on my watch. Everyone, get inside and shutter the clinic! Don't want anymore of these assholes coming here and shooting up the place," Tayla told them.

She didn't need to repeat herself as everyone snapped to action, getting back inside the clinic. Once everyone was in, the panic button was hit, and the clinic was shuttered from the inside. Armor panels slid over the glass and the doors engaged their heavy locks, barricading the staff inside. The only way to get through was with starship grade ordinance, and everyone hoped these infiltrators didn't have access to that kind of hardware.